1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to devices capable of being positioned within a balloon that assist in the inflation of the balloon and enable the balloon to be illuminated internally. More particularly, the present invention relates to devices that retain a light source within a balloon and couple that light source to an external power source after the balloon is inflated.
2. PRIOR ART STATEMENT
U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,941 to Daniel Panjuke, the inventor herein, entitled Balloon Inflation Device With Light, discloses a device for positioning a light within a traditional latex balloon. Referring to FIG. 1, it can be seen that the device described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,941 to Panjuke contains a hollow tube 12 that passes into the opening of a latex-type of balloon. A flange 14 is disposed near the bottom of the hollow tube 12. The open end of a balloon passes over the flange 14, thereby creating an air impervious seal around the hollow tube 12. To fill the balloon, air is introduced into the balloon through the hollow tube 12. A baffle 16 is positioned in the hollow tube 12. Two holes 18 are positioned adjacent to the baffle 16. As air is introduced through the bottom of the hollow tube 12, the air is directed through the two holes 18 and into the balloon by the baffle 16. The presence of an elastic band 20 enables air to pass into the balloon through the two holes 18 yet prevents air from leaving the balloon through those same holes 18.
A light bulb 22 connects to the top of the hollow tube 12. As the bulb 22 is placed into the top of the hollow tube 12, the specialty leads 24 of the bulb 22 contact two terminals 26 disposed on the interior of the hollow tube 12. The terminals 26 extend down the length of the hollow tube 12 and interconnect with an electrical plug 27 that leads to a power source.
In the prior art, the manufacturing of the terminals 26 on the interior of the hollow tube 12 have been problematic. The terminals 26 must be firmly affixed to the interior of the hollow tube 12. Furthermore, the terminals 26 must extend down the sides of the baffle 16 in the hollow tube 12 without allowing air to leak past the baffle 16. In order to achieve such a configuration, the baffle 16 cannot be molded as part of the hollow tube. Rather, the baffle 16 must be glued in place within the hollow tube 12 after the terminals 26 have be affixed to the sides of the hollow tube 12. The use of the terminals 26 also requires that the light bulb 22 and the electrical plug 27 be specially configured to contact and engage the terminals 26 inside the hollow tube 12. All such requirements have added greatly to the cost and labor required to manufacture the overall device.
A more specific description of the operation of the prior art device shown in FIG. 1 is contained in U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,941 to Daniel Panjuke, entitled Balloon Inflation Device With Light, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
In view of the prior art, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,941, a need therefore exists in the art for an improved balloon and inflation device that does not use interior terminals to connect the light source to a power source. Such an improved device would greatly reduce the complexities of manufacturing and would result in a device that is less costly and less labor intensive to produce. This need is satisfied by the present invention as described and claimed.